pianogonzology

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Caught . . .

. . . in the crosshairs
of my poison-dart marauding rifle
Of course what can a body do
You’re not the man you used to be
You say with certain relish
But still you’re here with me today

And though you surely cannot hide
You’ll try to run for cover
And I will follow where you go
As we perpetuate the dance
We’ve done through all the ages
Ours is much more than just a show

Bought my ticket
Took time off for the
Drama of life
Drama of life
Drama of life
Front row orchestra
Tails, tux just for the
Drama of life
Drama of life
Drama of life

Some choose their circumstances
With a dearth of careful thinking
Some can’t make any choice at all
But all the options must be weighed
Outcomes evaluated
And for the joy you must add salt

Bought my ticket
Took time off for the
Drama of life
Drama of life
Drama of life
Front row orchestra
Tails, tux just for the
Drama of life
Drama of life
Drama of life

Take an intermission
Look at what you’re missing

It’s not a natural
Or a simple kind of understanding
Half-heartedness won’t make it so
To rise above self-serving
Vanities makes all the difference
Sometimes that’s all you need to know

Bought my ticket
Took time off for the
Drama of life
Drama of life
Drama of life
Front row orchestra
Tails, tux just for the
Drama of life
Drama of life
Drama of life

What do you think?
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(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
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Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Working . . .

. . . on the live performance of Your Luck Is Awake . . .

. . . another gloriously catchy composition by Jay . . .

Your Luck Is Awake
by Jay Graboski

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Monday, September 26, 2016

Dear . . .

. . . NPR,

During a recent, morning show interview of a political, Christian, rapper, your reporter asked his guest if he would be voting in November. The musician said that yes, he would, first carefully choosing his local representatives and then added that he will cast a vote for a presidential candidate, but that candidate would not be Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. To that, your reporter responded to the effect that, 'aren't you concerned that in so doing, you are not participating in the election at all, or not voting?' To his credit, the rapper had a quick, considered and intelligent response which in short said simply - NO. I, for one, agree with the latter's response and find your reporter's question (as many other questions and posits I have heard from them during this election cycle) contemptible.

(http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2016/06/21/Your-Vote-Third-Party-Candidate-Won-t-Be-Waste-2016)
". . . many voters will be looking at third party alternatives this year. But most will categorically reject minor party candidates, dismissing a vote for anyone other than Clinton or Trump as a wasted ballot. Such thinking is deeply flawed and very dangerous for America’s future. . . The belief that voting for a candidate destined to lose is a waste confuses voting with betting. Unlike the lottery, there is no immediate reward for picking the winning candidate. And, by voting for the “lesser of two evils,” each voter marginally helps a bad candidate take office. . ."

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Sunday, September 25, 2016

Lie? . . .

(from http://qz.com/784533/new-york-times-editor-dean-baquet-on-donald-trump-we-will-call-out-lies/)
". . . The Huffington Post branded him a serial liar months ago. Now, the most traditional American media outlets have also abandoned journalistic diplomatese in their coverage of Republican candidate Donald Trump, and are reaching for new ways to flag the word “lie.” . . . In at least five articles in the New York Times on Sept. 17, including the lead story in the print edition, the words “lie,” “false,” “falsely claimed” and “untrue” appeared in headlines, lead paragraphs, and top sections of the paper’s Trump coverage. The day before, CNN’s Jake Tapper called Trump “the most prominent pusher of the birther lie,” the Associated Press reported that Trump “peddled another lie,” and a Washington Post headline declared, “It’s time for TV news to stop playing the stooge for Donald Trump.” . . . It’s a marked change in language, even for outlets that have aggressively reported on Trump’s appeals to violence and bigotry. And it’s especially startling coming from the ultra-traditional Times, which even in the new digital age remains a north star for much mainstream media coverage. . ."

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Saturday, September 24, 2016

Opus #2 . . .

(http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/22/books/harper-lee-and-berkeley-breathed.html?_r=0)
". . . Generations of admiring readers knew Harper Lee as the reclusive author of the classic novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.” But a relative few were given a glimpse of another side of Ms. Lee: that of a witty, impish and loyal pen pal.

The cartoonist Berkeley Breathed was one person who shared a correspondence with Ms. Lee. After her death . . . Mr. Breathed wrote on Facebook of the letters they had exchanged through the years. Later, he shared with The New York Times four letters he had received from Ms. Lee over 14 years, with the first coming in 1994 and the last arriving in 2008.

The letters detail the author’s quest for privacy, and show how Ms. Lee, who wrote some of the most beloved characters in fiction, became attached to another endearing figure as she aged: Opus, a penguin in Mr. Breathed’s comic strips. . . "

Opus #2(Step Lively Or Get Off the Treadmill)
©2016 Raymond M. Jozwiak

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Friday, September 23, 2016

Like. . .

. . . the vineyard tasting room quickly abandoned by the large group of young, professional-types and their limo driver (our 'tour guide', if you will). . .

. . . who predominantly occupies the lion's share of the tasting bar geography while inundating the atmosphere with boisterous, jocular, superficial chatter during our intended, peaceful, rejuvenating lunch break, the musician readily and sincerely empathizes. This for both the obliviousness and the indifference demonstrated by the general public in response to the honest, sincere, creative efforts put forth by individuals such as creators of fine, fermented beverages as well as the authors of those creative, original, eclectic musical endeavors with which they are confronted on a regular basis. . .

(Note: OHO was much appreciated by the audience at Elk Run Vineyard on this particular warm August night.)

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Thursday, September 22, 2016

Under . . .

. . . dogs

(from https://fstoppers.com/business/why-you-should-embrace-being-underdog-54878

". . . If you find yourself in a position of being the underdog don't let that get you down. Embrace it and take advantage of the position. . ."To want and to be ambitious and to want to be successful is not enough. That's just desire. To know what you want, to understand why you're doing it, to dedicate every breath in your body, to achieve . . . If you feel that you have something to give, if you feel that your particular talent is worth developing, is worth caring for, then there's nothing you can't achieve.". . ."

(from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_S._Howard)
". . . Howard was dubbed one of the most successful Buick salesmen of all time. He lost his son to a car accident in 1926 at an early age and later bought the soon-to-be-famous horse Seabiscuit. According to Laura Hillenbrand's biography of Seabiscuit, Howard's early car dealership in San Francisco was given a boost by the hand of fate; on the day of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, he was one of the few individuals who had operational vehicles in the city, and was thus able to help the rescue effort significantly. . . In 1921, long before he bought Seabiscuit, Charles Howard purchased the 16,000-acre (6,475 ha) Ridgewood Ranch at Willits in Mendocino County. His 15-year-old son, Frankie, died there in 1926 after a truck accident on the property (the elder Howard established the Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital as a memorial to his son). Used as a secondary residence, by the 1930s Howard had converted part of the ranch into a thoroughbred horse breeding and training center. Although Seabiscuit was the most famous resident at Ridgewood Ranch, Charles Howard owned many horses in his secondary career as a Thoroughbred owner including Kayak II (also Kajak) and Hall of Fame colt Noor, the first of only two horses to defeat two U.S. Triple Crown champions. . . "

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